The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, has directed the immediate termination of the contract of two Payment Service Providers (PSPs) for their total failure to meet the contractual agreement to commence Conditional Cash Transfer to beneficiaries in four states of the federation assigned to the two PSPs.
The affected states are Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom in the South South; Abia in the South East and Zamfara, in the North West.
The immediate termination of the contract would be with the guidance of the World Bank, and a new procurement process launched using World Bank procurement guidelines to ensure that payments commence in the affected states on or before April 28, 2020.
The Minister said that the Federal Government cannot accept delays in the current payment round of N20,000 stipends to beneficiaries in poor and vulnerable households under any excuses in the four states or any other states of the federation.
“The failure of any payment service providers to meet their contractual agreement is unacceptable. The Federal Government through the Ministry cannot allow contractors to derail the immediate Conditional cash transfers to the poor and the vulnerable,” the Minister added.
Sailsu Na’inna Dambatta
For: Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.